A FIRST league double of the season will be the reward for Bridport if they can see off Winter-bourne United on their opponents’ artificial playing surface in Gloucester-shire this Saturday (3pm).

Warren Byerley scored twice and Dan Wise converted a penalty when the Bees won the reverse fixture 3-1 at St Mary’s Field in September – and boss Trevor Senior is going to be looking for more of the same at the weekend.

Bridport have only lost once in their last six matches across all competitions and sit 10th in the Toolstation Western Premier Division, nine points off top spot and nine above one-from-bottom Bishop Sutton.

Saturday’s trip to Winter-bourne, who have won two in a row in the league, comes just eight days before the teams lock horns again in the Les Phillips Cup in west Dorset.

For now, Senior is focusing on another three points to boost Bridport’s league position, though he knows playing on a 3G pitch is never easy.

“We’re going from a really bobbly pitch at Calne last weekend to an artificial surface this Saturday,” he said.

“Some of the players like playing on it and some don’t, but we got a 2-2 draw there last season and are playing well at the moment.

“We were leading 2-1 the last time we played there and should have won but conceded a late goal.”

Meanwhile, the Bees have been handed an away tie against Highworth Town – the side that knocked them out of the FA Cup in August – in the second round of the FA Vase after an extra-time victory over Calne Town last Saturday.

Senior’s men had to dig deep to make it through with Jamie Filkins’ late header giving them a 2-1 win in Wiltshire.

“It wasn’t a game that will live long in the memory but the main thing for us was that we got through,” added Senior.

“All credit to Calne, they gave us a good run for our money, and if it hadn’t been for some good saves by Ashley Weeks they could have won it.

“But, on the other hand, we had chances to kill the game off at 1-0, we just didn’t take them.

“I was pleased with the way we dug in and I don’t think we deserved to lose. I think that over the whole tie the result was just about right.”

Jamie Symes gave Bridport the lead 25 minutes in and after the visitors had squandered some good chances to close the game out, Marcus Lovesey equalised for the hosts in second-half injury-time.

However, Filkins came up trumps three minutes from the end of extra-time, planting a header into the far corner to win it for the Bees.

Bridport will meet Highworth in the next round on Saturday, November 22 (3pm).

Bees: Weeks, Condliffe, Clarke, Evans, Stewart (A Symes 110), Hayter, Filkins, J Symes (Wise 70), Byerley (Richardson 100), Dovell, Morley.